Concord Historical Society Celebration

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Created on Monday, 28 September 2015 16:08

Written by Abbey Greene

CONCORD - Ask anyone in the Concord Historical Society what they were up to this past weekend, and they might respond, “It’s a Log Story.” Saturday, over two hundred residents gathered at the town museum to celebrate Concord’s 100th anniversary at the Annual Fall Open House, “It’s a Log Story”.

The theme was chosen by the museum and the historical society because of the town ancestors’ ties to logging and manual labor outdoors.

Local historian Beth Kanell says that events like the open house are important to remind residents of their roots.

“I love the history of this region,” says Kanell. “It’s so full of adventure, and it has been lost in some ways. We created a culture in the Northeast Kingdom where work is a priority. You have to have people write things down and tell stories about it, and that has not always happened.”

This year the event focused on the hard times men of the region had to log along the Connecticut River and then transport large trees and wood products downstream.

“They were the cowboys of our region, and they were awesome,” Kanell states laughingly.

Ted Faris of Barnet was glad to use this opportunity to show the public the trade he was taught at a young age.

“People can get together to learn about how we used to do things,” says Faris. “At one time this was modern technology. It certainly is not now, but it used to be.”

“It was a time when you could have a big adventure in your life,” Kanell explains. “All you needed to do was walk off the farm, and sign up for the winter. You were out with a number of people your age in the cold, testing yourself against the weather, against the work, fed by someone else, with relatively few responsibilities other than to get the job done, and have a ball.”

Next year’s open house will feature exhibits about old-fashioned transportation in Vermont, and is planned to take place on the last weekend of September.